It has been over a year since the release of WandaVision, the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series on Disney+ and the official start of Phase 4. Giving the spotlight to Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) after years of being supporting characters, the series became a massive hit and captivated audiences each week with a mystery of what exactly was happening. The series arrival during the COVID-19 pandemic seemed perfect, as the show itself was about retreating into the comfort of nostalgic television during a period of uncertain depression, much like audiences were stuck inside binging familiar comfort series.
When it was announced, the series was pitched as leading directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and with the release of that film, it is a good time to revisit WandaVision. Like many MCU projects, WandaVision laid the groundwork for future series and films in the franchise with Easter eggs and references. These Easter eggs tie into the larger MCU both in terms of its past, but also the future of where it is heading. In honor of the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, these are some of the biggest Easter eggs in WandaVision, hinting at the larger MCU.
Monica Rambeau
One of the main characters in WandaVision is S.W.O.R.D. agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonha Paris). This is not the first time the character has appeared in the MCU, as audiences first saw the character as a child in Captain Marvel played by Akira Akbar. She is the daughter of Carol Danvers friend Maria Rambeau (played by Lashana Lynch), who audiences find out died of cancer due during the Blip and that Monica missed it because she was one of the victims of the Blip.
The television series see Monica acquiring superpowers due to her moving in and out of Wanda's hex, and her white and black jumpsuit is similar to her comic book characters' outfit. In the comics, Monica was actually the first woman to hold the name Captain Marvel and has taken many names, including Phasar, Spectrum, and Photon. Photon was her mother's call sign in Captain Marvel, so there is an indicator that it will be her own superhero name, as Monica is set to be a major character in the upcoming film, The Marvels, which will see her team up with her auntie Carol and new superhero Ms. Marvel.
Super Friends
Alongside Monica Rambeau is the addition of other MCU supporting characters Darcy Lewis and Agent Woo. The MCU's Darcy Lewis, played by Kat Dennings, was an intern of Jane Foster in Thor and became a fellow partner in Thor: The Dark World, and WandaVision marked the character's first appearance in the MCU in over eight years. While the character is not expected to return to the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder and reunite with Jane and Thor, the door is now open for her to return in other MCU projects.
Jimmy Woo, played by Randall Park, was an FBI agent in Ant-Man and the Wasp assigned to Scott Lang to make sure he stayed under house arrest. While a comedic foil in that film, it appears the character's interaction with Lang rubbed off on him, as in the film he wanted to know how Scott did the closeup magic card trick, whereas by WandaVision he has perfected his own.
The Darkhold
WandaVision introduced audiences to The Darkhold, which is Agatha Harkness' possession. The Darkhold aka The Book of the Damned is a staple of Marvel Comics, written by the dark lord Chthon. The book is a book of dark magic, that Wanda is in possession of by the end of the series; it is by studying it that sets up her role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Interestingly, this is not the first time the Darkhold has appeared in the MCU. The book previously appeared in season four of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and in season three of The Runaways. It is unclear if those series are still considered canon in the MCU, and while the Darkhold in those series is visually different from the one seen in WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness provides an explanation, as there may be multiple copies of the book.
Commercial Breaks
Throughout WandaVision, audiences are given slight hints at Wanda's past through various commercials. The first one is for Stark Industries toaster, a reference to Tony Stark and the red beeping light calls back the Stark bomb that killed Wanda's parents. The second and third commercials for Strucker Watch and Hydra Soak bath wash reference Wanda's history of being experimented on by Baron Von Strucker for Hydra at the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The next commercial is for Lagos bath towels, which is a reference to Lagos, Nigeria where Wanda's action in Captain America: Civil War set forth the Sokovia Accords. With further commercials hinting at Agatha Harkness stealing Wanda's power and the character's depression, the commercials provide an insight into Wanda's tragic past and how she is coping with her struggles.
Wiccan, Speed, and Young Avengers
Wanda's twin sons Billy and Tommy are set to be major players in the MCU moving forward, as in the comics the characters are Wiccan and Speed respectively. The two characters are members of the Young Avengers, which Marvel Studios has been laying the groundwork for in many projects. First was Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp who grew up during the events of Avengers: Endgame and will next be seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania where she is expected to suit up as Stature.
The Disney+ TV series after WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, introduced Isiah Bradley and his grandson Eli Bradley, who in the comics adopts the moniker of Patriot. Hawkeye introduced Kate Bishop, who is a major member of The Young Avengers. Recently Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced America Chavez (played by Xochitl Gomez), a newer member of the team in the comics. With so many Young Avengers appearing across the MCU, it is only a matter before the team assembles.
Agatha Harkness
Originally introduced as Wanda's noisy neighbor, towards the end of the series Agnes reveals herself to be Agatha Harkness (the inimitable Kathryn Hahn), an extremely powerful witch and one of the series' primary antagonists. In the comics, Agatha is Wanda's mentor when it comes to witchcraft, and she adopts a similar role here but in an antagonistic role.
At the end of WandaVision, Scarlet Witch traps Agatha in a prison of her own mind having to live as her Agnes character. Leaving the character alive opened the door for her to appear again, and while many first suspected she would appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it was announced the character would get her own Disney+ series, House of Harkness. How Agatha Harkness fits into the larger MCU is to be determined, but in the comics, Agatha also has ties as the babysitter of Franklin and Valerie Richards, the son and daughter of The Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. With the characters set to appear in the MCU, there is a chance Agatha could find her way over into that property.
The Scarlet Witch
By the time WandaVision premiered in 2021, Wanda Maximoff had been a part of the MCU for seven years following her cameo at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014 and her first full-blown appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The character was an Avenger and a major part in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, where she became a character known the world over. However, the character was never referred to by her code name, The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), in the films despite general audiences probably knowing this as her moniker due to merchandise.
WandaVision provides an explanation for the Scarlet Witch moniker, as it is a being prophesied in the Darkhold and is an elemental power. The show establishes that her powers surpass that of the Sorcerer Supreme, setting her role up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the character can truly finish her character evolution, to either one of the most powerful heroes or gravest threats.